Celebrities Line Up For 'MTV Movie Awards'

Things are heating up as MTV announces presenters and performers for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards to be held June 3. We've already been jolted to attention with revelation the dirty, dirty comedienne Sarah Silverman will host the live broadcast and hopefully produce loads of censor-worthy material to keep the bleeper patrol on their toes.

Following her stop at Ellis Island, newly immigrated Victoria Beckham will make an appearance, as well as former host and Golden Popcorn recipient, Lindsay Lohan. Unfortunately, Lohan remains a U.S. resident.

Robin Williams will be presenting an award, in what the press release has touted as some sort of joke-off with Silverman. Despite the creep factor generated ever since Williams' portrayal of an obsessed photo mart clerk stalking the all American family in the film One Hour Photo, his manic delivery and penchant for X-rated material may leave him the hands down winner of the evening.

As we wade through the list of celebrities on board to pimp their summer movie releases, including Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up), the relevance of the award show at hand seems nonexistent. The majority of the nominated films have long been out of the theater

On the other hand, with the mockucategory of "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet", those of us movie buffs who invest hours of our time on awards show programming (guilty!) that dole out awards for movies the general public hasn't yet been privy to, sometimes I think the execs at MTV hit the nail on the head. Even if that nail is coffin bound.

2007 Student Academy Awards

The finalists for the 2007 Student Academy Awards were announced on May 14, with hopefuls vying for medals of the Gold, Silver or Bronze Olympic variety, as well as cash prizes and a week-long introduction to the industry.

While the winners have now been selected, voted on by Academy members, they have not been told which medal they have actually won. This will be revealed during the June 9 ceremony held at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Gold medalist and Honorary Foreign Film winners are granted a full-length screening of their film following the ceremony.

Besides allowing Academy voters the opportunity to practice on unsuspecting college and graduate level students, the Student Academy Awards have identified some of the most creative minds in filmmaking. The list of innovative and successful filmmakers include Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis. The Academy website reports that Student Academy Award winners have been nominated for an Oscar a remarkable 35 times, with a total of seven Oscar wins either as an individual or as part of a group nomination.

Aspiring collegiate filmmakers should make the Student Academy Awards a must-do on their contest/fellowship submission list.

Academy Announces 2007 Student Academy Award Winners [Academy press release]

MTV VMAs to Take Over Vegas

Despite the statistical probability of actually viewing a music video on MTV akin to that of a Sasquatch siting in the forests of North America, it has been announced that the MTV Music Video Awards will continue to perpetuate the widely held myth by holding it's annual ode to all things "music video" in Las Vegas. Oh, how I'd like to see the odds for catching a glimpse of Sasquatch vs. a music video on MTV. Me thinks, too close to call.

In an effort to lure an ostentatious list of previously uninterested celebs, Christina Norman, MTV President, announced plans for the VMA's "to take over every available nook and cranny of the infamous celebrity stomping ground, The Palms Casino Resort," according to an MTV press release.

It appears, owner of the trendy hot-spot, George Maloof was not informed of the intimate invasion, as he states, "the opportunity to showcase The Pearl Concert Theater as the venue for the awards show is extremely exciting." Someone needs to let him know what exactly will be happening to his nooks and crannies before its too late. I'm also happy to announce that I will be in Vegas well before this year's "nothing will be off limits" approach, and I feel cleaner for it.

For those of you who enjoy watching the re-broadcast of the VMA's seven times a day for months on end, you will be disappointed to know that with the change of venue comes a change in playback. For instance, there will be no more playback.

Per se.

The show is to air during a single live broadcast. The twist is that as MTV strives for more and more viewer interaction, they will somehow (likely some new fandangled technology) allow viewers to program remixed versions of the show. Excuse me...MTV...I'd like to order the Blake Lewis beat-boxed version of the VMA's, please.

We will soon find out what, if anything, Christina Norman knows about "rock 'n roll chaos". Her words, not mine.

2007 MTV Video Music Awards Sets Up Next Act in Las Vegas [PRNewswire]
MTV Has VMAs on Lockdown [TMZ]

Rosie O'Donnell, You're Fired!

Okay, maybe not fired, but the Trumpness of the headline was too good to pass up. It's been reported by the AP via Yahoo! News that O'Donnell and ABC were unable to meet in the middle during contract negotiations. But it's been rumored that Barbra Walters may have had enough of all the controversy and generally belligerent, un-ladylike behavior displayed by O'Donnell over the last year.

While Walters has denied that she has anything to do with her exit from The View, Rosie's scatalogical rant at the Women in Communications awards luncheon in the presence of impressionable young, teenage women awaiting recognition may have thrown Barbara over the edge. The fact that Walters considers herself an aboveboard, professional journalist lends an air of truth to the rumor. The fact that the rumor is being "trumpeted" by the duck-man himself, sucks its legitimacy below sea level.

Whether there is some truth to the claims or not, the real question is who is ano appropriate replacement as co-host and still be as big an audience draw for ABC?

Will Rosie's Vulgar Act at Teen Award Show Boot Her from 'View?' [NewsBusters]
Rosie O'Donnell leaving ABC's 'The View' [Yahoo! News]